Shine a Light on Celiac

A united celiac disease awareness campaign.

May is Celiac/Coeliac Awareness Month, May 8-14 is Coeliac Awareness Week in the UK, and May 16 is internationally recognized as Celiac Awareness Day.

Since 2020, celiac disease organizations around the world have come together to shine a light on the seriousness of this disease. This year, as in years past, we’re lighting up landmarks in green to raise awareness of celiac disease, gluten-free food insecurity, the need for more research and so much more!

Learn more about the organizations involved

What is celiac disease?

Celiac disease (sometimes called celiac sprue, non-tropical sprue, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy) is a serious, autoimmune condition triggered by consuming a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye. When a person with celiac disease eats gluten, the immune system begins to attack the villi of the intestines. Damaged villi (see photo at left) make it nearly impossible for the body to absorb nutrients, which can lead to malnourishment and a host of other issues including osteoporosis, infertility and the onset of other autoimmune diseases.

Landmarks we’re lighting up for celiac disease in 2025

Brazil

City	Landmark	Date	Courtesy of
São Paulo	Biblioteca Mario de Andrade	May 16	Movimento Celíacos do Brasil
São Paulo	Edifício Matarazzo	May 16	Movimento Celíacos do Brasil
São Paulo	Pateo do Colegio	May 16	Movimento Celíacos do Brasil
São Paulo	Ponte Estaiada Otávio Frias de Oliveira	May 16	Movimento Celíacos do Brasil
São Paulo	Viaduto do Chá	May 16	Movimento Celíacos do Brasil

Canada

City	Landmark	Date	Courtesy of
Ottowa, ON	Ottawa Sign, Byward Market	May 1	Celiac Canada
Ottawa, ON	Rogers Centre	May 1	Celiac Canada
Winnipeg, MB	Winnipeg Sign, The Forks	May 1	Celiac Canada
Winnipeg, MB	The Esplanade Riel	May 1	Celiac Canada
St. John’s, NL	St. John’s City Hall	May 15	Celiac Canada
Victoria, BC	BC Parliament Buildings	May 15	Celiac Canada
Toronto, ON	CN Tower	May 16	Celiac Canada
Toronto, ON	Toronto sign	May 16	Celiac Canada
Niagara Falls, ON	Niagara Falls	May 16	Celiac Canada
Edmonton, AB	Alberta Legislature Building	May 16	Celiac Canada
Edmonton, AB	Walterdale Theatre	May 16	Celiac Canada
Sherwood Park, AB	Strathcona Community Hall Tower	May 16	Celiac Canada
Summerside, PEI	Summerside City Hall	May 16	Celiac Canada
Moncton, NB	Moncton City Hall	May 16	Celiac Canada
Moncton, NB	Downing Street	May 16	Celiac Canada
Monton, NB	Downtown Place	May 16	Celiac Canada
Dieppe, NB	Dieppe City Hall	May 16	Celiac Canada
Moncton, NB	Avenir Center	May 16	Celiac Canada
White Rock, BC	White Rock Pier	May 16	Celiac Canada
Vancouver, BC	Canada Place	May 16	Celiac Canada
Vancouver, BC	Vancouver Convention Center	May 16	Celiac Canada
Vancouver, BC	BC Place	May 16	Celiac Canada
Port Moody, BC	Port Moody City Hall	May 16	Celiac Canada
Vancouver, BC	Vancouver City Hall	May 16	Celiac Canada
Vancouver, BC	Burrard Street Bridge	May 16	Celiac Canada
Nanaimo, BC	The Bastion	May 16	Celiac Canada
Surrey, BC	Surrey Civic Plaza	May 16	Celiac Canada
Victoria, BC	The Langford Station	May 16	Celiac Canada
Vancouver, BC	Science World	May 20	Celiac Canada

Georgia

City	Landmark	Date	Courtesy of
Batumi City	Batumi National Stadium	May 16	Georgian National Celiac Association
Tbilisi City	Tbilisi Central Tower	May 16	Georgian National Celiac Association

Italy

City	Landmark	Date	Courtesy of
L’Aquila, Abruzzo	Fontana Luminosa at Piazza Battaglione degli Alpini	May 10 to 18	Associazione Italiana Celiachia (AiC)
Pescara, Abruzzo	Torre Civica, Piazza Italia	May 16	AiC
Teramo, Abruzzo	Fontana dei Due Leoni, Piazza Ercole Vincenzo Orsini	May 16	AiC
Teramo, Abruzzo	Fontana Luminosa, Piazza Garibaldi	May 16	AiC
Catanzaro, Calabria	Statua del Cavatore, Piazza Matteotti	May 14	AiC
Pizzo, Calabria	Castello Aragonese, Via Marincola	May 17	AiC
Passariano di Codroipo, Friuli Venezia Giulia	Villa Manin, Stradone Manin	May 10 to 18th	AiC
Udine, Friuli Venezia Giulia	Facciate dei palazzi di Via Mercatovecchio	May 16	AiC
Genova, Liguria	Fontana di Piazza De Ferrari, Piazza Raffaele De Ferrari	May 15	AiC
Bergamo, Lombardia	Porta San Giacomo, Viale delle Mura	May 16	AiC
Brescia, Lombardia	Fontana di Piazzale Repubblica at Piazzale Repubblica	The night between May 16 May 17	AiC
Como, Lombardia	Sede della Provincia di Como, Via Borgo Vico 148	May 16	AiC
Lecco, Lombardia	Monumento Pablo Atchugarry, Rotonda del Caleotto	May 16	AiC
Mantova, Lombardia	Fontana di Porta Pradella, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II	May 16	AiC
Milano, Lombardia	Palazzo Lombardia, Piazza Città di Lombardia	May 16	AiC
Milano, Lombardia	Palazzo Pirelli, Piazza Duca d’Aosta	May 16	AiC
Pavia, Lombardia	Statua della Minerva at Viale della Libertà	May 16	AiC
Poggio Rusco, Lombardia	Palazzo Municipale, Piazza 1° Maggio	May 16	AiC
Potenza Picena, Marche	Palazzo Municipale at Piazza Matteotti	May 16 to 18	AiC
Castelfidardo, Marche	Palazzo Municipale, at Piazza della Repubblica	May 16	AiC
Recanati, Marche	Torre del Passero, Via Antonio Calcagni	May 16	AiC
San Benedetto del Tronto, Marche	Monumento al Pescatore, Viale delle Tamerici	May 13 to 18	AiC
Cessapalombo, Marche	Palazzo del Municipio, Piazza del Municipio	May 16	AiC
Sarnano, Marche	Torre Civica, Piazza Alta	May 16	AiC
Monte Grimano Terme, Marche	Palazzo Municipale at Piazza Matteotti	May 12	AiC
Montegranaro, Marche	Fontana di Largo 8 Marzo	May 16	AiC
Loreto, Marche	Palazzo Comunale at Corso Boccalini	May 16	AiC
Osimo, Marche	Area dei Tre Archi	May 16	AiC
Macerata, Marche	Arena Sferisterio at Piazza Nazario Sauro	May 16	AiC
Pioraco, Marche	Passerella del Bacio at Viale Raffaello Sanzio	May 16	AiC
Isernia, Molise	Fontana Fraterna, Piazza Giosuè Carducci	May 16	AiC
Campobasso, Molise	Balcone del Municipio, Piazza Vittoria Emanuele II	May 16	AiC
Torino, Piemonte	Mole Antonelliana at Via Montebello	May 16	AiC
Torino, Piemonte	Palazzo della Regione Piemonte, Piazza Piemonte	May 16	AiC
Alessandria, Piemonte	Arco di Trionfo at Piazza Matteotti	May 16	AiC
Cuneo, Piemonte	Torre Civica, Via Roma 19	May 16	AiC
Vercelli, Piemonte	Balcone del Palazzo Comunale at Piazza Municipio	May 16	AiC
Novara, Piemonte	Cupola di San Gaudenzio, Via Gaudenzio Ferrari 13	May 16	AiC
Cagliari, Sardegna	Torrino del Bastione, Piazza Costituzione	May 10 to 11	AiC
Sestu, Sardegna	Palazzo Comunale, Via Scipione	May 13	AiC
Alghero, Sardegna	Torre di Sulis, Piazza Sulis	May 16	AiC
Quartu Sant’Elena, Sardegna	Ex Convento dei Cappuccini, Via Brigata Sassari	May 16	AiC
Oristano, Sardegna	Statua di Eleonora d’Arborea, Piazza Eleonora	May 16	AiC
Zeddiani, Sardegna	Casa Comunale, Via Roma	May 16	AiC
Sassari, Sardegna	Palazzo Ducale, Piazza del Comune	May 14 to 15	AiC
Messina, Sicilia	Palazzo Zanca, Via San Camillo 110	May 10 to 18	AiC
Caltanissetta, Sicilia	Fontana del Tritone, Piazza Garibaldi	May 12 to 18	AiC
Cannara, Umbria	Torre Civica at Piazza Umberto I	May 16	AiC
Aosta, Valle D’Aosta	Palazzo Municipale at Piazza Émile Chanoux	May 16	AiC
Venezia, Veneto	Ca’ Farsetti, Ramo de la Salizzada	May 16 to 18	AiC
Venezia, Veneto	Ca’ Loredan, San Marco	May 16 to 18	AiC
Mestre, Veneto	Palazzo Municipale at Via Palazzo	May 16 to 18	AiC
Mestre, Veneto	Torre Civica at Piazza Ferretto	May 16 to 18	AiC
Rovigo, Veneto	Palazzo Nodari at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele	May 16 to 18	AiC
Padova, Veneto	Torre degli Anziani at Piazza dei Frutti	May 16	AiC
Verona, Veneto	Palazzo della Gran Guardia, Piazza Bra 1	May 16	AiC
Caldogno, Veneto	Villa Palladiana, Via Zanella	May 16 and the following days	AiC

México

City	Landmark	Date	Courtesy of
Ciudad de México, CDMX	Fundación Herdez, Seminario 18, Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc	May 16	ACELMEX
Hermosillo, Sonora	Hospital CIMA Hermosillo Av. Paseo Río San Miguel No. 35, Proyecto Río Sonora Hermosillo XXI	May 16	ACELMEX and the gluten-free family @famsingluten
Hermosillo, Sonora	Congreso del Estado de Sonora, Av. Tehuantepec s/n, Las Palmas, 83270	May 16 9:00 PM	ACELMEX and the gluten-free family @famsingluten

United States

Landmarks to come soon!

City	Landmark	Date	Courtesy of

Other landmarks we’ve previously lit up: Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer statue), Niagara Falls, CN Tower, Olympic Stadium (Montreal), Calgary Tower, Rawche rock at Ramly el Baydu (Beirut) and many more.